How do you say “Throw someone under the bus” in French?
The closest natural French equivalent is sacrifier quelqu'un pour se protéger, which literally means “to sacrifice someone to protect oneself”. English speakers use throw someone under the bus to mean to blame or betray someone to protect yourself or get an advantage. This direct wording keeps the selfish motive. For unfair blame specifically, use “faire porter le chapeau.” Register: neutral. Usage frequency: common.
Closest natural French
sacrifier quelqu'un pour se protéger
/sakʁifje kɛlkœ̃ puʁ sə pʁɔteʒe/
- Literal meaning
- “to sacrifice someone to protect oneself”
- Register
- neutral
- How often it's used
- common
- Equivalence
Close equivalent
88 out of 100
What a native French speaker would actually say
“Sacrifier quelqu'un pour se protéger” makes the selfish motive clear. It works when someone puts another person's job or reputation at risk to save their own.
If the issue is unfair blame, use “faire porter le chapeau.” “Livrer en pâture” is stronger: it suggests exposing someone to public attack.
How close is the meaning?
- Meaning5 out of 5
- Tone4 out of 5
- Context5 out of 5
- Literal similarity1 out of 5
These ratings are editorial approximations, not measurements.
What are other ways to say it in French?
faire porter le chapeau à quelqu'un
Literally: “to make someone wear the hat”
Use when someone is unfairly made to take the blame.
livrer quelqu'un en pâture
Literally: “to offer someone up as food”
Stronger; suggests exposing someone to public attack or criticism.
In context
English
He threw his assistant under the bus to protect himself.
French
Il a sacrifié son assistant pour se protéger.
English
Don't throw me under the bus; you approved the plan too.
French
Ne me fais pas porter le chapeau ; tu as approuvé le projet, toi aussi.
Related expressions
- What “Throw someone under the bus” means in English
- Leave someone high and dry, Leave someone stranded without support.
- Face the music, Accept unpleasant consequences for your actions
Last updated 2026-09-16